System of controlling railway-cars.



W. S. MEND E'N. SYSTEM OF CONTROLUNG. RAILWAY CARS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17. 1914.

Patented Dec.19,1916. hi 3 shins-SHEET 1. .30 12a 1 if 1 J Wain, coizz roz I I w. s. MENDEN.

SYSTEM OF CONTROLLING RAILWAY CARS. APPuqAUoN FILEDYJUNE 17. 1914.

3 SHEETS -SHEET 2- vim Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

W, S. MENDEN. SYST E M 0F CONTROLLING RA ILWAY CARS. APPLEATION FILED JUNE I7, 1914. '1,209,%9.. Patented Dec. 19,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3i operatable 'or not.

= n earns Parana" Eric.

WILLIAM S. MENDEN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MEGOSIN COMPANY,

' INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SYSTEM OF CONTROLLING RAILWAY-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 19, 19116.

Application filed June 17, 1914. Serial No. 845,615.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. MENDEN,

vented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems of Controlling Railway-Cars, of which the following is a full and clear specification.

This invention relates o a system of controlling railwaycars and has for its primary object to provide an improved. system for that class of systems which upon becoming active automatically bring the cars to rest and require a voluntary movement on the part of an operator for reestablishing the normal conditions under which the cars are propelled. y

One of the objects ofmy invention is to provide improved emergency control ap'paratus for rapid transit cars, embodying means depending upon the movement of the cars for holding car-stopping means inoperative until automatically operated by an outside agency and in which in the event of said holding means becoming inoperative from any cause, the automatic stopping of the cars will not be interfered with. Furthermore, a slight volitional movement on the part of the motorman makes it possible to reestablish normal running conditions whether the emergency control apparatus is Another o-b'eet is to provide an improved system which-calls for a volitional move ment on the part of anoperator but which can be transformed into a full automatic system at will. A further ob ect is to provide an improved cooperative arrangement of the emergency apparatus which automatically sets the maximum and minimum speed 1 limits.

Other and further objects will appear in the specification and claims, reference being had. to the accompanying drawings in Which, I

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits on a single car, according to one w embod ment of my nvention, certain of the instrumentalities being shown in, section; Flg. 2 1s a similar dlagram showing this embodiment applied to a train of cars, said instrumentalitiesbeing shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a similar diagram for a train showmg an embodiment of the invention.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a brake control valve 1 is connected to the train pipe 2 on one side and is provided with an outlet pipe 3" on the other side, adapting it to'dischar'ge into the air thereby. Said valve is provided with a pressure chamber 4 which isincontinuously open communication with an upper chamber 5 by means of a channel 6. A valve seat 7 is suitably arranged to be closed by a valve 8 which has a valve stem 9 slidably support-- ed in the cap 10 of the valve, Interposed between the valve 8 and the cap10 is a spring 11 which cooperates with the air pressure in the chamber 5 to normally retain the valve 8 against the seat 7- when the vehicle is moving. A pipe 12 serves to conncct'the chamber 5 with a chamber 13 of a housing 14, within which is mounted an electro-responsive device in the form of a magnetic .coil 15' which when energized draws a plunger 16' downwardly. Said plunger is reciprocably mounted within a,

sleeve 17, its lower end being adapted to open and shut an opening 18 through which 13 and a spider 21 which is connected'to the lower end of the plunger lfiby means of a. reduced neck 22. Plunger 16 carries an armature 23 whichreciprocates in cylinder 24.

Projecting upwardly from theplunger 16 is a stem 25 which carries spaced contact bridges 26 and 27, the former of thesebeing adapted to close a gap in a motive power circuit control wire 28. The contact 27 is adapted to close a gap in a relay circuit, to be presently referred to. For initially energizing the coil 15, the positive line-wire of I the car is connected by a Wire 30 with a master reset line 32, said wire 30 being provided with a switch'31 which adapted to open and close a gap therein. Said switch 31 is preferably-held in open position by a spring 31. If desired; however, said spring may be removed to permit the switch 31 to be kept closed in order torender the sys tem fully automatic ,aswill be understood.

Leading from the reset line 32 is a wire 33 which connects with the coil 15, being provided with a gap between the spaced contacts 34 which normally retain an open circuit while the car is running. Leading from the coil 15 is a wire 34 which is grounded in the negative line wire 35, being provided with gaps between'spaced contacts 36 and 37. These gaps are normally retained closed by contact bars 38 and 39 which are pivoted respectively at 40 and 41 being provided with depending arms 42 and 43 which are adapted to be engaged by any suitable means disposed along the route of the cars. Mounted on the axle 44 of wheels 45 (one only being shown) is a gear 46 which meshes with a pinion 47 for driving the dynamo 48, said dynamo being grounded through the line 49. A circuit including said dynamo is completed through the ground line 49, another ground. line 50 which connects with one end of a solenoid 51, the other end of said solenoid being connected by a line 52 with the dynamo 48. ll hen the car is running therefore, solenoid 51 acts upon the plunge' 53 'to retain a bridge contact 54 in raised position. lVhen, however, the car is at rest bridge contact 54 drops upon the spaced contacts 34 and thus completes a circuit from positive line 29, connection 30, reset line 32, line 33, coil15 and ground line 34, the contact bars 38 and 39 being then in position to close the gaps 36 and 37. Under these conditions, the operator by closing the switch 31 energizes the coil 15 and draws the plunger 16 down- 'ardly, the armature 23 being attracted by the magnetized sleeve 17 At the same time, the contact 26 closes the gap in the main car control line 28, thus giving the operator the power to accelerate the car. Simulta neonsly. the contact 27 closes a gap in the line 55 which leads from the positive line 29 to one of the contacts 56 which forms said gap, the other of said contacts being connected to the wire'33. In this way, it the coil has been initially energized, it is maintained energized by the current flowing from positive line 29 through wire 55, contact 27. line 33, coil 15 and ground line 34 to negative line As soon as the car is accelerated, the bridge contact 54 is raised and breaks the initial energizing circuit, until the car again comes to rest, so that whenever either or both of the contact bars 38 and 39 are operated to breal; what might be termed the permanent energizing circuit, of the coil 15, an event which would be 00- casioned by an emergency. plunger 16 would be released to move upwardly, with the resultthat contact 26 would break the main power control line 28 while at the same time the release of the air from chamber 5 of the emergency braking device would cause an emergency application of the.

brakes. During this time, it would be-impossible for the operator to reestablish either the initial energizing circuit for the coil 15 or the main control circuit or to release the brakesfor the reason that the bridge contact 54 would be retained in raised position until the cars came to rest. By reference to Fig. 2, the application of this system to a train will be seen at a glance, the parts just described being duplicated in each car of the train. It will be seen that the master reset line 32 extends throughout the length of the train, together with the positive and negative lines. It Will be apparent therefore, that whenever the train is at rest, all of the bridge contacts 54 being in lowered position, the coil 15 on every car willbe energized whenever anyone of the switches 31 is closed. In consequence, all of the main power control lines '28 for the different cars will be closed simultaneously, thus placing all of the cars under the control of the operator. At the same time, all of the permanent energizing circuits for the coils 15 will be simultaneously, completed. Let it be supposed now for example that a dynamo 48 becomes inoperative for any reason. The consequence would be that the bridge contact 54 would remain at all times in position to bridge the gap between contacts 34. In consequence should the switch 31 be retained normally clos'ed, wheneyer an emergency operation occurred the reset line would act immediately to re'c'stablish normal working conditions. Should the car be 0perated singly, the object of the system would be that whenever the car is operated singly, the switch 31' may be left open so that the reset could only be accomplished by a volitional action on the part of the operator. Thus the car would come to. a stop from an emergency operation. In a train of cars, on the other hand, it will be understood that with the switch 31 in closed position. if but a single dynamo 48 be in active operation, the emergency train stopping device will act automatically to bring the train to a rest.

Referring now to the embodiment shown in Fig. the emergency control apparatus is substantially similar in construction to that already pointed out in connection with the embodiment shown in Figs- 1 and 2. Each car in a train has an emergency brake-applying valve within a housing 1' and a magnetic controlling valve in a housing 14', said housings being connected by pipes 12 and adapted to operate in the same manner. 'hen the train is at rest, magnet in housing 14 is initiallv energized by the following circuit: plus line 29, connection 30, reset line 32. wire '33, contacts 34, bridge contact 57 pivoted at 58 which is normally held in raised position by a spring 59, wire 60, spaced contacts 61 closed by a sliding bridge contact'62 which is carried by the stem of the plunger within the housing 14 and which is then in raised position, .wire 63 and wire (ll which is grounded and provided with gaps normally closed by contact bars 65 and (36, said contact bars being adapted to be operated in emergencies as pointed out in theother embodiment. As soon as the magnet in housing 14 is energized, sliding bridge contact 62'is drawn down to close the circuit from positive line 29', which includes wire 67, sliding bridge contact 62, wire 63 and wire 64: to ground, thus completing the so-called permanent circuit. In this embodiment, the synchronizing line wire (58 is provided which extends throughout the train. hen the emergency is operated and the coil in housing ll is deenergized, a contact 69 is permitted to rise for closing a circuit including positive line 29, wire (37. wire 70, synchronizing line 68, wire'71, solenoid within housing 72, wire 73, and negative line wire By energizing said coil, the contact Tl is drawn downwardly to break the main power control line 75. The solenoid within housing 72 is also adapted when energized to apply the brakes by re leasing air from a pipe 76. It will thus be seen that whenever the emergency device is operated. the automatic brake-amplying device on the car is maintained in action until the car comes to rest and in addition thereto,

the main power circuits on every car are broken by the retraction of contacts 74:, the synchronizing line 68 in connection with positive and negative lines 29 and 35 being adapted to reproduce this action on every car of the train. v

Means for automatically operating the speed control device within the housing 72 independently of the emergency car-stopping device are provided as follows: A dynamo 77 having field winding 7 8 is driven by the running gear of the car and is grounded through line 79. A line 80 connects with the solenoid coil 81, the other end of said coil being connected by a wire 82 with the resistance 83, a plurality of branches 84, 85,

and 86 being provided, whereby any or all of the resistances 83 can be thrown out of circuit by means of a contact plunger 87 which is automatically raised during different zones of travel to predetermined. different speed limits for that zone. Whenever the solenoid 81 is energized, contact 88 is raised to close the gap in a circuit including a battery"91,wire 92, wire 93, synchronizing line 68, wire 71, coil in housing 72, wire 73 and negative line wire 35. The solenoid 81 is of such construction that the energy therein is not suflicient to raise the contact 88 .until such time as the speed of the train generates suflicient power in the generator 77 to effect this displacement, the speed re-v quired of the train corresponding to the,

1 the train.

maximum speed limit. Whenever this occurs, it will be understood that the relations of the parts are such as will cause the operation of" the speed controls on every car in Obviously, various changes could be made in the ar'angement of circuits and in the constructions of the several instrumentalities employed without departing from the broad spirit of my invention which resides in the combinations of elements setforth in the appended claims.

I claim: 7 1. In a system of operating railway cars, cars, an instrumentality on each car, adapt= ed when operated to bring the cars to rest, a circuit for initially energizing said instrumentality, -a circuit breaker in said circuit,

including a conductor provided with a normally open switch.

2. In a system of operating railway cars, cars, an instrumentality on each car, adapted when operated to bring the cars to rest, a circuit for initially energizing said instrumentalityja circuit breaker in said circuit, depending on the movement of said cars for ho ding said circuit breaker in open position, said circuit"including a conductor provided with a normally open switch, a circuit for holding said instrumen-tality energized, and circuits controlled by said switch for simultaneously resetting the instrumentalities on all of said cars.

3. In a-system of operating cars, a car an emergency device for bringing the car to rest, an energizing circuit for said device provided with two positive branches, each of said branches being provided with a brake adapted to be controlled by said device, one of said branches being provided with an additional circuit breaker, and means energized by said car in movement for normally retaining said additional circuit breaker in circuit breaking position 4. In a train of cars, a motive power controlcircuit extending through the several cars of said train, said circuit embodying a circuit breaker for each car, an emergency device on one of said cars for bringing said train to rest, means operated by said emer- .eration of said device, said circuit being providedwith spaced-contactsaa movable contact normally bridging said contacts when the car is at rest. a. speed jr L strumentality, an energizing circuit therefor embodying spaced contacts, a bridge contact adapted to bridge said contacts in the speed controlenergizing circuit, a solenoid, a plunger in said solenoid connected to the last mentioned bridge contact, said plunger being normally held in position to remove the connected bridge contact to circuit breaking position, and a dynamo driven by the movement of said car and connected up to said solenoid, said plunger being adapted to be shifted by said solenoid under a predetermined speed of said car, the first said movable contact being suitably disposed with respect to said plunger to be attracted thereby to break the emergency control circuit when the car is in motion.

6. In a train of cars, plus and minus line wires extending throughout the length of the train, a synchronizing line wire also extending throughout the length of the train, a speed control instrumentality on each car connected to said. minus and synchronizing lines,'a source of power On each car having its poles connected respectively to said synchronizing line and minus line, a circuit breaker in circuit with said source of power and speed control, and means on each car and depending on the speed of the train for actuating said circuit-breaker, the actuation of the circuit breaker on any one ofsaid cars, being adapted to complete energizing circuits which include the speed control instrumentz'llities on every car in the train.

7. In a train of cars, plus and-minus line wires extending throughout the length of the train. a synchronizing line wire also eX- tending throughout the,length of the train, a speed control instrrunentality on each car connected to said minus and synchronizing lines, a source of power on each car having one pole connected to said minus line wire, a pair of spaced contacts on each car connccted respectively to said synchronizing line and the other pole of said power source, a bridge contact adapted to bridge said spaced conta t means on each car and de pending on the speed oi the train for moving said bridge contact, the actuation of any one-oi said bridge contacts being thus adapted to complete energizing circuits. which include the speed control instrumentalities on every car in the train, an emergency device on each car adapted when operated to bring the train to rest, an energizing circuit therefor embodying spaced contacts, and means for bridging the last mentioned spaced contacts when the train is at rest.

8. In a train oi cars. plus and minus line wires extending throughout the length of the train. a synchronizing line wire also extending throughout the length of the train, a speed control instrumentality on each car connected to said minus and synchronizing lines, a source of power on each car having which include the speed control instrumentaliti'es on every car in the train, an emergency device on each car adapted when operated to bring the train to rest, an emergency circuit therefor embodying spaced contacts, and means for bridging the last mentioned spaced contacts when the train is at rest, the last said means comprising a movably mounted contact bar under normal tendency to bridge said last mentioned spaced contacts and adapted to be displaced by the magnetism in said plunger when. the.

solenoid carries a current.

9. In a system of operating railway cars, the combination of a train of cars. positive, negative, synchronizing, and reset line wires extending through said train, a connection between said reset line and said positive line provided with a switch, a speed control instrumentality connected up between said negative and. synchronizing lines, a source of power, a connection between said synchronizing and negative lines including said source of power in series with said speed control instrumentality, s aid connection being provided with spaced contacts, a normally open circuit breaker for said contacts, an electro-responsive device for op erating said circuit breaker, a dynamo driven by the running gear of each car and connectedto said electro-responsive device, an emergency train-stopping device, a connection between said positive line and said negative line, said connection including said emergency device and a pair of spaced eontacts, a conductor movable by said emergency device for bridging the last said contacts and a conductor for connecting said resetline to said emergency device. i

10. In a system of operating railway cars, the combination of a train of cars, positive, negative, synchronizing, and reset line wires extending through said train, a connection between said reset line and said positive line provided with a switch, a speed control instrumentality connected up between said negative and synchronizing lines, a source of power, a connection between said synchronizing and negative lines including said source of power in series withsaid speed control instrumentality; said connection be ing provided with spaced contacts, a normally open circuit breaker for said contacts, an electro-responsive device for operating said circuit breaker, a dynamo driven by .the combination of a train of cars, positive, negatlve, synchron1z1ng,and reset l1ne wires extending through said train, a connection between said reset line and said ositive line provided witha switch, a spee control instrumentality connected up between said negative and synchronizing lines, a source of power, a connectlon between said syn- I 'chronizing and negative lines including said source of power In series with said speed 1" -'(30l1t1'01 instrumentality, said connection .be-

ing provided with spaced contacts, a normally open circuit breaker for said con tacts, an electro-responsive device for operating said circuit-breaker, a dynamo driven by the running gear of each car, and connected to said electro-responsive device, an emergency train-stoppingdevice, a connection between said positive line and said negative line, said connection including said emergency device and a pair'of spaced contacts, a conductor movable b said-emergency device for bridging the l ast'said contacts and a conductor for connecting said reset line, t6 said emergency device, the last said conductor including spaced contacts suitably disposed to be closed by the conductor which is moved by said emergency device.

12. In a system of operating railway cars, the combination of a train of cars, positive, negative synchronizing, and reset line wires extending through saidtrain, a connection between said reset line and said positive line provided with 'a switch, a speed'control-in strumentality connected up between said negative and synchronizing lines, a source of power, a connection between sald synchronizing and negative lines including said source of power in, series with said speed control instrum'entality, said connection be ing provided with spaced contacts, a nor.-

mally open circuit breaker for said contacts,

an .electro-responsivedevice for operating sgid circuit breaker, a dynamo driven by e running gear of each car, and connected to said electro-responsive device, an emergency. train-stopping device, a connection between said positive line and said negative I line, vsaid connection ircluding said emergency device and a pair of spaced contacts, a conductor movable by said emergency device for bridging the last said contacts and a conductor for connecting said reset line to said emergency device, the last mentioned conductor including a switch operated by said electro-responsive device and spaced contacts suitably disposed to be closed by I the conductor which is moved by said emera circuit breaker, means depending on the movement of the cars for holding one of said circuit breakers open, and a manually operated switch in said emergency device-energizing circuit. i

14, In a system of operating railway cars, the combination of a train of cars, positive and negative line wires extending through .said cars, a synchronizing line'also extending. through said cars, an emergency carstopping device on each car connected in circuit between said positive and negative line wires, a circuit breaker in series therewith, means for closing said circuit breaker embodying an element depending upon the train being at rest, and a normally open switch in circuit with said closing means for said circuit breaker,said closing means including another circuit breaker directly under the control of said emergency device.

15. In a system of operating railway cars, the' combination of a train of cars, positive and negative line'wires, extending through said cars,.a synchronizing line also extending through said cars, an emergency carstopping device on each car connected inscircuit between said positive and negative line means for closing said circuit breaker embodying an element depending upon the train being at rest, and a normally open switch in circuit with said closing means'for said circuit breaker, said closing means including another circuit breaker directly under the control of saidemergency device, said normally open switch being connected up in a conductor connecting the positive line with the last said circuit breaker.

16. In a system of controlling railway cars, the combination of a train of cars, positive, negative, synchronizing and reset lines extending throughout the length of said train, an emergency car-stopping device on each car, a circuit including two pairs of spaced contacts, a bridge-contact for the gap between each pair of contacts, a solenoid for setting said device, said solenoid being adapted when energized to hold one of said for holding the other bridge-contact in open position, and a dynamo which is operated while the train is in motion, said dynamo being 'connected up with the second mentioned solenoid.

17. In a system of controlling railway cars, the combination of a train-of cars, positive, negative, synchronizing and reset lines extending throughout the length of said train, an emergency car-stopping device on each car, a circuit including two pairs of spaced contacts, a bridge contact for the gap between each pair of contacts, a solenoid for setting said device and a switch other than said bridge contacts, said solenoid being adapted when energized to hold one of said bridge contacts in open position, a solenoid for holding the other bridge contact in open position, a dynamo which is operated while the train is in motion, said dynamo being connected up with the second mentioned solenoid, a connection provided with a gap connecting said solenoid to the positive line independently of the above mentioned bridge contacts, a bridge contact for the last mentioned gap adapted to be held in open position by said solenoid when energized and means adapted to be operated from without the train for breaking the solenoid circuit while the train is moving, said switch being interposed between said reset and positive lines to control the energization of the solenoids on every car when the train is at rest.

18. In a system of controlling railway cars, the combination of a train of cars, positive, negative, synchronizing and reset lines extending throughout the length of said' train, an emergency ,car-stopping device on each car, a circuit including two pairs of spaced contacts, a bridge-contact for the gap between each pair of contacts, a solenoid for setting said device and a switch other thansaid bridge contacts, said solenoid being adapted when energizedto hold one of said bridge contacts in open position, a solenoid for holding the other bridge contact in open position, a dynamo which is operated while the train is in motion, said dynamo being connected up with the second mentioned solenoid, a connection provided with a gap connecting said solenoid to the.

positive line independently of the above mentloned bridge contacts, a bridge contact for the last mentioned gap adapted to be held in open position by said solenoid when energized, means adapted to be operated from without the train for breaking the solenoid circuit while the train is moving, said switch being interposed between said reset and positive lines to control the energization of the solenoids on every car when the train is at rest, a speed control instrumentality, and a circuit for operating the same provided with spaced contacts and a bridge contact for bridging said contacts under the control of the solenoid energized by said dynamo.

19. In a system of controlling railway cars, the combination of a train of cars, positive, negative, synchronizing and reset lines extending throughout the length of said train, an emergency car-stopping device on each car, a circuit including two pairs of spaced contacts, a bridge-contact for the gap between each pair of contacts, a solenoid for setting said device, and a switch, said solenoid being adapted when energized to hold one of said bridge contacts in open position, a solenoid for holding the other bridge contact in open position, a dynamo which is operated while the train is in motion, said dynamo being connected up with the second mentioned solenoid, a connection provided with a gap connecting said solenoid to the positive line independently of the above mentioned bridge contacts, a bridge contact for the last mentioned gap adapted to be held in open position bysaid solenoid when energized, means adapted to be operated from without the train for breaking the solenoid circuit while the train is moving, said switch being interposed between said reset and positive lines to control the energization of the solenoids on every car when the train is at rest, a speed control instru-e mentality, and a circuit for operating the same provided with spaced contacts and a bridge contact for bridging said contacts under the control of the solenoid energized by said dynamo, said speed control instrumentality on each car being connected up between said synchronizing and said negative lines \VILLIAM S. MENDEN.

\Vitnesses:

J. T. CLABBY,

WM. A. COUBTLAND. 

